Creating Customer Loyalty Richard Bross Partner Master Class AP040Build My Skills Session

Introducing Partner Master Class (Part of the UK kick-off, May 2011) Recognised Worldwide as the TOP PDC All personnel have built VAR/ISV Partners from scratch Live and breath your business pains Wide range of experience in all areas Proven Success in multiple countries across Europe Top Class Coaches

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Richard Bross Richard worked for Dutch TV Richard has been specialized in the optimalisation of lead generation on the CXO level in the ICT market for the last 22 years He has a broad network within the Microsoft organisation and is member of the Microsoft Partner Advisory Counsel for the last 7 years. Richard is also member of Microsoft's Retail Board Richard is co-founder of HSO, the number 1 Dynamics AX partner of Europe Richard lives to network!

The IT Channel Company Merger between PMC and Conceptsales 12 professionals Ambitious to grow! Extra delivery capacity Roll out capabilities Cloud experience!

Our new team….

1. BUILDING A RAPPORT WITH YOUR CUSTOMER

The First Ten Seconds In a customer service situation you have just ten seconds to start building a relationship with your customer and to create an impression. So make sure it is a good one! A good greeting can lay a strong foundation for the future.

Customer Rapport in a Nutshell The Holy Grail of customer service is making people feel they are special to you. Your challenge: to show that you really mean what you say. Like so many other personal skills, this can be learned and developed. People cannot read your mind - they can only see your actions and hear your words. Remember: it is not enough to feel positive about your customer; you must show it in your words and actions.

The Top Ten Needs of your Customer...Or the 10 Keys to Successful Rapport-Building 1.They need to feel welcome (respect, understanding). 2.They need to feel comfortable (understanding). 3.They need to be understood (understanding). 4.They need assistance (understanding). 5.They need to feel important (respect). 6.They need to be recognized (respect). 7.They need to be treated with respect (respect). 8.They need to be listened to (understanding). 9.They need prompt service (respect). 10.They need to trust you (trust).

2. BECOMING A TRUSTED ADVISOR

Introduction “It’s important to have someone who you totally trust, who is totally committed, who shares your vision, and yet who has a little bit different set of skills and who also acts as something of a check on you.” – Bill Gates

What Is a Trusted Advisor?

The Path to Becoming a Trusted Advisor Subject Matter or Process Expert Subject Matter Expert Plus Affiliated Field Valuable Resource Trusted Advisor Depth of Personal Relationship Breadth of Business Issues The Trusted Advisor, David Maister

Relationship Levels TypeFocus Is OnEnergy Spent OnCustomer Receives Indicators of Success Subject matter expert Answers, expertise, input ExplainingInformationTimely, high quality Subject matter expert + business Business problemProblem solvingSolutionsProblems resolved Valuable resource (broad) Client organization Providing insightsIdeasRepeat business Trusted advisorClient as individual Understanding the client Safe haven for hard issues Varied; e.g. Creative approach and involvement

Making the Difference

3. THE COST OF NON-SATISFACTION

Your Bed-time Questions

Customer Defections Six reasons to say goodbye 1.Some customers are bought. 2.Some customers move. 3.Some customers make critical staff changes. 4.Some customers are attracted to competitors because you forgot about them. 5.Some customers are attracted to competitors because their value proposition is more appealing. 6.Some customers are attracted to competitors because they feel unsatisfied and frustrated.

The Cost of Defections Measuring the Cost: How to calculate the potential yearly losses in case of defection of some of key customers: ∑ gross profit past 5 years – cost of on going sales 5 The result gives you a sense of the profits lost with the defecting customer in the coming years.

Anticipating Defections Competition benchmark (compare with the customers of others) Your satisfaction metrics vs. your competitors. SWOT analysis. Others. You should ask and listen to the customer’s answers.

4. DELIVERING VALUE TO ENSURE CUSTOMER LOYALTY

A Comprehensive Methodology to Create Customer Loyalty 1.What to do: Roll out the Business Ready Enhancement Customer Lifecycle methodology. a.Welcome. b.Activate. c.Develop a roadmap. d.Renew. 2.How to do it: a.Designate a customer care champion. b.Create a customer care outreach plan. c.Execute & communicate.

How to Do it Execute & Communicate. Designate a Customer Care Champion. Create a Customer Care Outreach Plan. Now, let’s turn the focus to how you can make it happen. Use the step- by-step plan for this:

Designate a Customer Care Champion Depending on business size, the Customer Care Champion may carry the title of: Customer Sales Manager, Customer Relationship Manager, or Specialized Sales Manager. Regardless of title, their common goal is to bring customers through the lifecycle. Business SizeCustomer Care Champion Companies with customers Assign a dedicated Customer Sales Manager (CSM): Someone to identify opportunities within the existing customer base and close them. Companies with less than 50 customers Assign a non-dedicated existing Customer Champ: Someone who takes on core activities to maintain a basic level of part-time responsibility for existing customer interactions, and carries a goal or quota. OrTake a virtual team approach: People in small businesses are accustomed to wearing many hats. But assign a Team Leader even if you choose this approach. “Sales folks go in and sell it – they are done. But, once the project team has implemented, it‟s up to „customer care‟ to nurture the relationship and manage the recurring communications.” -Microsoft Partner.

Create a Customer Outreach Plan

Categorise your Customers Categorise customers to prioritise the activities you will implement: Your top 20%. Personally managed. Action: Executive breakfast, business reviews. Your middle 50%. Periodically contacted. Action: , phone, national & local events. Your bottom 30%. Managed as a group in 1-to-many engagements. Action: Local events, mailings, newsletters, etc.

Communication Plan Prioritized existing customers (T=license expiration date) Non-renewed New customersA customersB customersC customersLapsing Customers Project completion: Introduce yourself as their care provider. Offer a project post-modern assessment. Meeting or phone call T-90 Ongoing communication e.g. summarize recent news that affects their business or invite them to an event. Include list of top areas of CustomerSource T-90 Ongoing communication e.g. summarize recent news that affects their business or invite them to an event. Include list of top areas of CustomerSource T-90 Ongoing communication e.g. summarize recent news that affects their business. Include list of top areas of CustomerSource Lapsed (T+14) Include list of top reasons customers typically renew. Add list of new items on CustomerSource. Personalized w/follow up call to them with invitation for them to call you Call-down with follow-up Mail a new customer welcome kit or customer appreciation gift T-60 Ongoing Communication about recent projects you have done for clients like them. Ask for a good time to plan their "roadmap" meeting. T-60 Ongoing Communication about recent projects you have done for clients like them. Send the roadmap template. T-60 Ongoing Communication about recent projects you have done for clients like them. Send the roadmap template. Lapsed (T+30) Roadmap reminder. "To achieve your goals, we need to get you on the current platform." Phone call w/meeting requestConference call or 2-way Web tamplate with key "next purchase" questions link to saved roadmap T things you could do with your "next generation" system. Mention upcoming expiration. Lapsed 2 (T+90) Roadmap reminder. "Understand that you can get very busy but take time to manage your technology and it will pay off…" Phone call w/meeting request Point to web page with report on how technology used as a strategic advantage Ad-hoc: Congratulations on their recent achievement. How their growth should match their systems. T-7 License expiration coming soon! Renew now to achieve your roadmap T-7 License expiration coming soon! Renew now to achieve your roadmap Lapsed 2 (T+120) Our last communication. When you are ready, please contact us. Attach roadmap from your meetingLink to saved roadmap, fallow up phone call link to saved roadmap

Communication Path Now, determine the best path of communication for each of your customers. Apply your communications plan by customer priority. For example: Communication by Customer Type Suggestion: Dedicate a day to each type of customer while you’re in the same mindset and can re-use materials from one customer to another. A CustomerB CustomerC Customer Client 1:1 lunches Quarterly-- Lunch & learns Quarterly - Phone check-in MonthlyQuarterly- Client satisfaction review Annually with follow-up Annually Web-based self serve Webinar Quarterly /Newsletter Monthly

Annual Calendar To stay organized, build an annual business development calendar to map out which of the above activities you’ll focus on month-by-month. (A sample 6-month calendar is below) Existing Customer Business Development NovDecJanFebMarApr Events Microsoft Convergence Year-end User Group Customer Appreciation Event Executive Breakfast Communications Classroom Training Postcard Reminder Mailing newsletter Call-down Other Client gifts Web site promotion

Summary

Keys for Creating Customer Loyalty It doesn’t take a lot to increase your impact with existing customers. If you carefully analyse your business, prioritise your existing customer base, and develop an existing customer plan, you’ll have the infrastructure in place to sustain real growth from within your base. Using that as a springboard, you can build a regular plan with your customers to give them a vision for the future of their technology. This can help grow your recurring revenue along the customer lifecycle. Apply the plan to years 2, 3 and beyond, to align your customer’s expectation with what’s being put in place. Once you have secured a long-term relationship with your customers you have the opportunity to grow with them and through them from referrals. By measuring and revising your plan, you can improve the way you develop and deliver existing customers.

Q & A

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